Youth

July 21, 2008

Check out this passage from Luke 15:8-10. Jesus says, "Imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a
lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she
finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she'll call her friends
and neighbors: 'Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' Count on
it—that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul
turns to God."

It was party time for the angels while the youth of WCC were at camp Bigstuf. The final night we were there, Jared Herd told the gospel story about as clear as it could be told. He then offered the opportunity for any of the 2500 youth that were sitting in the huge auditorium to respond to God's offer of forgiveness and salvation. The way in which he asked those who had asked Christ to become their master was to stand. Now, that seems like a pretty simple invitation, but it's not. I mean, to stand up in a room full of 2500 teenagers, many of which you don't know, and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord is hard! In other words, you have to be serious about your decision to become a Christ Follower or it ain't happening. AJ Gile was SERIOUS. As soon as Jared offered the invitation, without hesitation, AJ stood up! It was absolutely unbelievable! Not only did those around AJ celebrate that evening, based on what Jesus said, Angels were partying like mad. Last night AJ's decision was celebrated by WCC's youth as he again declared that Jesus Christ was his master and took the plunge of "believers" baptism. All I can say is this is what it is all about! AJ, I am proud of you my friend. Your decision to follow Christ is the best decision you'll ever make.

February 13, 2008

One of my favorite websites is a website by Todd Rhoades called Monday Morning Insight. I would encourage you to go take a look at it if you are interested in the Religious world. The URL is www.mondaymorninginsight.com Anyway, today as I was perusing the site I came across a letter that was sent to the Executive Pastor of Seacoast Church in Charleston, SC. The Pastor's name is Geoff Surratt and the letter was sent by an 18 year old teenager. As I read it, it reminded me again of how concerned the "Church" at large should be about the next generation. Read it and let me know what you think. Here is the excerpt.

The 18 year old writes:

My last problem is my biggest problem. I have a great friend who is Muslim. He is an incredible man, he is very faithful to his religion and the God he knows. I just can not believe that a just God would send him to hell for picking the wrong religion. That is not just to me. I am quite aware of people saying that everyone has a opportunity to be exposed to Christianity and therefore if they do not choose it, it is there fault for not going to heaven. But I can not believe in that and I know you can not just pick which parts of Christianity you want to believe so I do not know how to continue being a Christian. If I grew up in another country with a different religion and culture, I am sure I would grow to believe in that religion just as I have grown to believe in Christianity. And as a Christian if somebody was to tell me that being Muslim is correct I would disagree and not change my ways. So why should people who were raised differently and taught to believe in something different just instantly hear about Christianity and convert. I do not feel that is even slightly reasonable. They think that the God they worship is correct and they live by their standards and try to serve the best they can...clearly there is only one God, so will that God tell those people too bad, you should have listened to the Christians, now go spend eternity in hell. Because under NO condition is that just in my mind. I feel a just God would judge your heart and my friend, who does not think Christianity is right, would not have to spend eternity in hell because he practiced what his culture taught him, and did the best to serve God the way he knew and THOUGHT was right. His intention is to get the same place, he just thinks there is a different way to get there. Does he really deserve to suffer for eternity for that?

October 13, 2007

I read a interesting survey this week by "The Barna Group". It was a survey that explored teenagers expectations related to church. Here are some of the findings. The most common elements sought by teenagers are as follows:

1. 45% of teenagers say they want to "worship or make a connection with God."

2. 42% say they want to "spend time with close friends."

3. 34% say they want to "get encouraged and inspired."

4. 30% said they want to "volunteer to help others."

I thought these findings were interesting. Another statistic that I thought was interesting was that 26% of all teens surveyed said they long for relevant religious teaching. This statistic flies in the face, I think, of what I see many parents demonstrating when it comes to encouraging their youth to actively be a part of what their particular youth group is doing. I guess the assumption is that kids don't care or that it doesn't matter. It does! It has been my experience that kids aren't so much looking for all the "bells and whistles" as much as they are for something and someone that will help them just "do life."

Here is a question that I have for all the parents/adults that read this blog. If you could go back.. "What would you go back and tell yourself as a teenager?" I am interested in your responses.